Polyhydric alcohol-organic acid resinous condensation products



Patented '20, 1926.

UNITED 'sTATEs QPATENT OFFICE.

.J'AIES G. E. WRIGHT, OF ALPLAUS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK;

POLYHYDRIG ALCOHOL-ORGANIC ACID BESINOUS CONDENSATION PRODUCTS.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

. tinned-by heating alone, the reaction grad-V andv earboxyl groups remain.

Be it known that I, JAMES G; E. WRIGHT, a subject of the British Empire, residing at Alplaus, in the county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pol hy- .dric Alcohol-Organic Acid Resinous ondensation Products, of which the following is a specification. i

The present invention relates to the class of resinous condensation products formed by the chemical reaction of a polyhydric alcohol, such for example as glycerine, and a polybasic acid, or its anhydride, as for example, phthalic anhydride. The resin 7 formed by the interaction of glycerine and phthalic anhydride has become known as glyptal (see Synthetic Resins and Their Plastics by Ellis, pages 293 to 298).

These resinous materials areformed by a tone and alcohol maybe used.

reaction between a hydroxyl group of the alcohol, and a carbox 1 group of the acid, splitting off water, an forming a soft ester- 'like product, which is fusible and soluble; When the reaction product is heated, the reaction continues with the elimination of water, and the resinis finally converted to a hard, 'infusible, insoluble state. Owing-to the complexity of the molecules, the product is not a simple ester at any stage but a structureless substance of high molecular weight. Although the reaction may be conually slows up as long as any free hydroxyl It requires under ordinary working conditions not only a long time, but also a relatively high temperature to proceed to the final or infusible stage.

When resins of the "ester type are utilized by applying the resin as a cement, impregnant, varnish or the like in the soluble, fusible state and then converting the resin by heating to the hard, tough, insoluble,'infusible state, it is desirable to hasten the hardening so as not to unduly prolong manufacturing operations.

' erate the reaction which occurs when,

ing of a polyhydrlc alcohol-organic acld m- It is the ob ect of my invention to accelof the glyptal type are converted to the stable, or hardened state in which the resin has lost its previous solubility and fusibillty.

I have discovered that the hardening of glyptal resins may be hastened by adding to the resin certain substances which act as I Application filed il'uly 5,

1924. Serial No. 724,296.

dehydration catalysts, for example, calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, or cer- 'tain metals in a finely divided state,su ch as, iron reduced from a finely divided oxideby hydrogen, or finely divided zinc.

My invention may be illustrated by a cement in which the binding material consists of glyptal. In the preparation of this cementa preponderant amount-ofan inert' filler," such as marble dust is mixed, with a lesser amount .of glyptal and a relatively very small amount of accelerator. For example, I have obtained good results from the following mixture by weight together with enough solvent'to produce the required consistenc 73 parts marble dust, 16 parts glyptal, 1

part of catalyst, for example iron reduced by hydrogen. 7

As a solvent acetoneor a mixture of ace- This cement when heated condenses, or

other conditions.

Apparently the accelerator forms some sort of loose chemical compound which splits olfwater more easily than the reacting compounds. The accelerator does no harm in the cured material. Of course, when the final product is to be used for electrical insulation the non-conducting oxides are preferred as accelerators.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. The method of accelerating the con- 1 version to the infusible state of a polyhydric alcohol-organic acid initial condensation product which consists in heating said product while admixed with a small quantity of a finely divided material comprising a metal as an elementary constituent.

2. The method of accelerating the hardenitial condensation product by heating which consists in incorporating therewith finely divided metal and heating to a hardening temperature.

3. A composition of matter comprlsing a polyhydric alcohol-organic acid initial consion thereof by heat to the infusible state.

4. A composition of matter comprising a resinous condensation product/of a polyhydric alcohol anda polybasic acid and finely divided iron.

5. A composition of matter comprising a resinous condensation product of glycenne lo and phthalic anhydride and finely divided iron, the former material being largely in excess.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 3rd day of July, 1924.

JAMES G. E. WRIGHT. 

